Battle for "Pagoda Country"

Updated
May 08, 2014 16:11:00

Conservationists in NSW are battling a coal mining company to protect what they say is a unique landscape known as "Pagoda Country", an area bordering the world heritage-listed Blue Mountains National Park.

EMMA ALBERICI, PRESENTER: Conservationists in New South Wales are battling with a coal mining company to protect what they say is a unique landscape. Known as Pagoda country, the area borders the World Heritage listed Blue Mountains National Park.

Ginny Stein reports.

GINNY STEIN, REPORTER: For millions of years these rock formations have guarded the western edge of the Blue Mountains.

HAYDN WASHINGTON, VISITING FELLOW, UNSW: We're in the heartland of Pagoda country here which are these amazing rock formations. So you get towers, lost cities, temples, whatever you want to call it, little tables, chairs - so it is really nature as a sculptor that you're getting here.

GINNY STEIN: A geological treasure-trove, they tower over NSW oldest coalfields and they're now at the centre of a battle to safeguard them from future mining operations.

HAYDN WASHINGTON: There's only about 60,000 hectares of Pagoda country in all and we only actually got half of that put into the National Park which is now a World Heritage area and some of the best stuff is outside here which is being threatened by mining companies.

GINNY STEIN: Underground mining has been a mainstay of this region for more than 100 years but mining company Coalpac also runs a small open-cut operation. Its push to expand this has triggered a new phase in the battle to protect the Pagoda country.

CHRIS JONKERS, LITHGOW ENVIRONMENT CENTRE: Cullen Bullen has been a mining area for over 100 years but it's been underground mining and this area has contributed to the economy of the Lithgow community greatly by having been already underground mined. It's given a lot of coal. Why do we now have to blitz everything to get the last remnants? I think it seems such a waste.

GINNY STEIN: Knocked back on a much larger expansion plan last year, Coalpac has returned, armed with a smaller proposal.

IAN FOLLINGTON, CEO, COALPAC MINE: Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen, for coming. It's my pleasure to welcome you to the first of our community information session.

GINNY STEIN: There's a lot on the line here in the mining village of Cullen Bullen.

MAREE STATHAN, LITHGOW MAYOR: We need the money in the area. We need to have this mine approved. I'm seeing people relocate out of this area which is quite distressing, there's lot of schools losing quite a number of people. This now will go on and have a flow-on effect if this isn't approved.

GINNY STEIN: With the mine currently under administration, getting this new project approved may give it a new lease of life.

MAREE STATHAN: At the end of the day, I've got to support this. Lithgow council have supported it and now that they've come in it's a real proposal now.

GINNY STEIN: Coalpac's administrators have found a willing buyer for the company and its coal. An energy company with a power station just down the road.

CLARE SAVAGE, ENERGY AUSTRALIA: Mount Piper provides 15 per cent of NSW power supply. Mount Piper is a really important part of making sure that the NSW power supply is competitive and ensuring that NSW customers get the lowest possible costs for their electricity.

GINNY STEIN: With the mine on one side of this ridge and the power station on the other, the economic reality of this situation is clear to see. Energy Australia maintains ensuring a long-term, low-cost supply of fuel to its power stations is critical to its business and to ensuring low-cost energy for the State.

But questions are being asked about the value of chasing low-grade coal in an area of great environmental value.

BRIAN MARSHALL, FMR ASSOC. PROFESSOR IN GEOLOGY, UTS: It's full of ash. It's very, very poor quality. It has a low calorific value in terms of when you burn it so it doesn't supply a lot of energy in that sense.

GINNY STEIN: So why would you want it?

BRIAN MARSHALL: Cheap.

GINNY STEIN: Coalpac says it's well aware of the environmental concerns that have been raised.

IAN FOLLINGTON: Over the past month we've met with local interest groups, local council workers, neighbours, everyone we can think of literally to get their input on how we might recommence.

GINNY STEIN: Its original massive open-cut mine proposal has now been significantly cut back.

CLARE SAVAGE: It's only about nine million tonnes compared to the original 60 million tonne project.

IAN FOLLINGTON: We've retreated from all areas that are considered to be sensitive or controversial and we've done that even though we believe in a number of areas we won't have a significant impact due to high-wall mining.

GINNY STEIN: But retired geologist Brian Marshall fears if the project is approved the advance of open-cut mining will be unstoppable.

BRIAN MARSHALL: It's part of what is a greater plan, we fear, because that has a history within the area of developing small areas a little bit at a time, seeking extensions and gradually destroying a very much larger area.

GINNY STEIN: Among the people of Cullen Bullen, the tiny town which owes its existence to mining, there are now deep divisions. Job losses in the past year have been felt keenly. Publican and shop owner Elick Baynham says the company has shown it is willing to listen to community concerns.

ELICK BAYNHAM, CULLEN BULLEN PUBLICAN: It's miles away from where they talk about these Pagodas and things like that. They were going to mine up near the cemetery and the people said, "No, we don't want you near the cemetery," and they said, "Rightio, we won't go near the cemetery."

GINNY STEIN: Eva Rizana, who grew up in this valley, does not share that confidence.

EVA RIZANA, CULLEN BULLEN LIFESTYLE GROUP: In amongst all of the pushing and shoving of Energy Australia, Coalpac and Centennial is this tiny community who is a little bit confused and who perhaps will be most impacted by all of these big business decisions and perhaps aren't fully aware of all of the goings-on behind the scenes.

GINNY STEIN: The NSW Government has already signalled it's willing to consider a smaller open-cut proposal. The question remains at what cost to this landscape?